National Parks Maine

Acadia National
ParkThough the affluent of the
turn of the century came here to frolic, they had
much to do with preserving the landscape that we
know today. It was from this social strata that
George B. Dorr came. He devoted 43 years of his
life, energy, and family fortune to preserving the
Acadian landscape.

Thanks to the foresight of
Dorr and others like him, Acadia became the first
national park established east of the Mississippi.
Located on the coast of Maine, Acadia encompasses
47,633 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands,
lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. Such diverse
types of habitat make Acadia a haven for wildlife
and plants.

Entwined with the natural
diversity of Acadia is the story of people. Evidence
suggests native people first lived here at least
5,000 years ago. Subsequent centuries brought
explorers from far lands, settlers of European
descent, and arising directly from the beauty of the
landscape -- tourism and preservation.